The author appears to have been very thorough and analytical, citing and comparing various sources. However, one source to whom he ascribed too much credit is President Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon. Length of acquaintance does not equate to depth of familiarity, nor does it guarantee honesty and objectivity. The fact that Herndon partnered with Lincoln for 20 years is one thing. Whether he was entirely knowledgeable AND honest in his accounts is quite another. So, the nature of the relationship between the two men bears scrutiny. First, the two men were at odds on a number of issues. Concerning Herndon's argument for the right of President Polk to wage war against Mexico, Lincoln accused Herndon in so many words, in a letter, of wanting to revert the nation to the tyranny of monarchy. Herndon surely had to have been offended by the suggestion. Herndon further made it plain that he was offended by Lincoln’s indulgence of his sons’ behavior in their law office. And Herndon described the office itself as "a dull, dry place so far as pleasurable or interesting incidents are concerned", which is interesting in light of Lincoln's frequent absence while practicing law on the circuit. Why did Herndon never have the privilege of visiting Lincoln at the White House while many of Lincoln's known friends did? Herndon himself said he never saw Lincoln again after the President left for Washington. Failing at law without Lincoln and reduced to relative obscurity, Herndon appears to have chosen to grasp at fame and fortune and to reduce public opinion of the martyred President by writing a flawed, sometimes sensational story. Reliance on Herndon sadly diminishes the value of "The History of the Lincoln Family".